The Ghost Ship
Day 25, Grand Asia 2018
Thursday, Oct. 25, 2018, Tianjin, China:
After a day in Tianjin yesterday and a two-day trip to Beijing last year, my options for today were limited. The ship offered a 40-minute shuttle ride to a mall, but having heard the descriptions from those who went the first day, I had no interest in shopping. So for perhaps the first time ever, I stayed on the ship while in port.
It was like being on a ghost ship.
I ate breakfast early as usual and then decamped to the library with a latte and my laptop to write and post the previous blog entry. It’s taking almost an hour to upload my pictures, format the entry and post it. Now that I know that those who subscribe by email get it immediately after posting, I have been more diligent about editing it first. Sure, I can correct typos later, but the errors have already hit inboxes.
The daily program was bereft of organized activities. At 11 a.m. I decided to make a survey of the public areas.
Mainstage Theater, empty and dark. Ocean Bar, empty. Shops, closed and dark. Casino, closed and empty. Sports Bar, empty. Piano Bar, empty. Crow’s Nest, empty.
Finally, three people in the Explorer’s Lounge. And about a dozen passengers in the Library. Three in the gym. About the same number in the Lido pool area.
After a fairly sunny and better-than-usual atmosphere yesterday, today was foggy and smoggy. The sun struggled to peak through behind the Westerdam early and disappeared as the day went on. I found it hard to tell how much was pollution, but it certainly deterred me from spending time on the balcony breathing in whatever hung in the air. I heard it was worse in Tianjin and Beijing. The huge cranes on the other side of the waterway disappeared at times.
Joyce and I went to lunch in the main dining room, something neither of us had done on this cruise. I usually prefer the Lido buffet. Our table of six was one of only two occupied on the starboard side. The port side didn’t have any more.
Everyone else was either ashore or in his or her cabin.
I loved it.
By late afternoon, the tour buses returned and the passengers streamed up the gangway. Because Holland America’s Westerdam, with twice as many passengers, was docked behind us, there was some confusion as a few passengers tried to board the wrong ship.
At dinner we celebrated Joyce’s birthday, with the Indonesian crew singing a birthday song to her to the traditional Dutch birthday tune but with Indonesian words. She especially loves it because she was born in the Netherlands.
Happiest of birthdays to Joyce!! So great you could be there to celebrate it with her. I laughed at your ghost ship photos! I really thought maybe more folks would have stayed on board but if it’s your first time there you get out and go!! That pollution would not encourage me to be there. Last year we could feel it when we breathed. We took masks but hardly anyone used them so we didn’t want to not fit in!! Surprised the Westerdam was there. We have three weeks till we leave for the gulf and spend thanksgiving with our son. Then we cruise the Panama so our suitcases are out and we are slowly making decisions about what to take. I can tell you it will be much less than what you took ?❤️
Really enjoying your style of reporting and the photos. First thing I read when I open e mail page. Thanks for spending the time to take us all along on an amazing trip.
I assumed the ship offered some classes while in port since there are always those who don’t/can’t go ashore. Interesting to imagine that huge “city” sans people.